Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act Zimbabwe 181. Person committed or remitted for sentence (1) When a person has, in terms of subsection (4) of section ninety, been committed to the High Court by a magistrate for sentence, or his case has been remitted by the Prosecutor-General to a magistrates court for sentence, he shall be called upon to plead to the indictment, summons or charge in the same manner as if he had, in the case of such committal, been committed for trial, and in the case of such remittal, as if he were being tried summarily, and may plead either that he is guilty of the offence charged or, with the concurrence of the prosecutor, of any other offence of which he might be convicted on the indictment, summons or charge. (2) If the accused pleads that he is not guilty, the court shall, upon being satisfied that he duly admitted before the magistrate that he was guilty of the offence charged and was so guilty, direct a plea of guilty to be entered or enter such plea, notwithstanding his plea of not guilty, and a plea so entered shall have the same effect as if it had been actually pleaded. (3) If the court is not so satisfied, or if notwithstanding that the accused pleads guilty it appears upon an examination of the depositions of the witnesses that he has not in fact committed the offence charged or any other offence of which he might be convicted on the indictment, summons or charge, the plea of not guilty shall be entered and the trial shall proceed as in other cases when that plea is entered. 182. Accused refusing to plead If the accused, when called upon to plead to an indictment, summons or charge, will not plead or answer directly thereto, the court may, if it thinks fit, order a plea of not guilty to be entered on behalf of the accused, and a plea so entered shall have the same effect as if it had been actually pleaded. 183. Truth of defamatory matter to be specially pleaded and to be proved by accused (1) A person charged with the unlawful publication of defamatory matter who sets up as a defence that the defamatory matter is true, and that it was for the public benefit that the publication should be made, shall plead that matter specially and may plead it with any other plea, except the plea of guilty. (2) Notice of any special plea in terms of subsection (1) shall, unless waived, be given as provided in section one hundred and seventy-nine. (3) The onus of proving the defence referred to in subsection (1) shall lie upon the accused. 184. Statement of accused sufficient plea of former conviction or acquittal In any plea of a former conviction or acquittal it shall be sufficient for an accused to state that he has been lawfully convicted or acquitted, as the case may be, of the offence charged. 185. Trial on plea to jurisdiction Upon a plea to the jurisdiction of the court, the court shall proceed to satisfy itself, in such manner and upon such evidence as it thinks fit, whether it has jurisdiction or not. 186. Issues raised by plea to be tried If the accused pleads any plea or pleas other than the plea of guilty or a plea to the jurisdiction of the court, he is, by such plea without any further form, deemed to have demanded that the issues raised by such plea or pleas shall be tried by the court. By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 82